In a heart-stopping affair that went till the final delivery, West Indies managed a three runs win versus a feisty Bangladesh. After putting up a fighting 142 runs, the Windies bowlers showed their experience towards the end and clinched a thriller.
Top-order fails, Chase stabilizes, Pooran fires, and Holder finishes
After starting at just 48 runs for two wickets in the first ten overs, the Windies looked completely out of the game. However, after Kieron Pollard got retired hurt, Nicholas Pooran played one of his best innings on a slow and gripping wicket. He launched the best of Bangladesh’s bowlers to beyond the rope and hit four massive sixes for his 40 runs off just 22 balls. Roston Chase did an incredible job of averting the collapse and played a handy knock of 39 runs in 46 balls.
The last over will haunt the Bangladeshi outfit for some time as Jason Holder whacked two sixes off Mustafizur Rahman’s bowling and the West Indies somehow made it to 142 runs. For Bangladesh, Mehdi Hasan and Shoriful turned in huge performances, sharing four wickets with Mehedi Hasan conceding 27 and Shoriful just 20 in his two.
“No, yes, no”- Bangladesh’s chase
The decision to exclude Holder from Playing Eleven looks even more baffling now. The bowler choked out runs early enabling the team to get the wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Naim within the Powerplay. With the required rate climbing, Soumya Sarkar tried to lift the tempo but got out to Akael Hosein after he had made 17 off 13 and the score read 60 for 3. The team needed around 9 runs per over with around nine overs left but a fifteen-run over ensured it is down below eight.
However, Rampaul extracted Rahim, and then at the closing stages, the team required 22 runs off 12 balls. Mahmudullah hit Bravo for a six to begin the second-last over but that turned out to be the last boundary. Liton Das fell after a gutsy 42-ball 44 runs effort and the team needed 13 off the last six balls.
Russell bowled wide yorkers and bowled brilliantly to finish things off. With Mahmudullah on strike, the team needed four runs off the last ball but a full-ball in the channel got past his bat as he looked to nail a cut. This has by far been the most closely fought contest in the tournament and West Indies has kept their Semis hope alive with their confidence now sky-high.
Holder conceded just 21, Rampaul just 25, Russell just 29, Hosein only 24 in their four overs. Dwayne Bravo proved costly with 36 runs off 4 overs but bowled some crucial overs too. Pooran grabbed the Player of the Match Award for his heroics.